Addressing the adhesion problem of molten aluminum ladle slag (ALS) is of great significance in electrolytic aluminum production. However, effective mitigation measures and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. By employing a combination of experimental and simulation methods, this study investigates the design of specific cubic microstructures to modify surface morphology for regulating the wetting characteristics of ALS on solid surfaces. Based on these observations, a predictive restitution model is established to quantify droplet rebound behavior. Response surface methodology optimizes pillar dimensions, inducing stable Cassie-state wetting. This reduces maximum solid–liquid contact area to 2.01 mm2, which is 52.37% lower than smooth surfaces. Consequently, restitution coefficients reach 0.41, enabling complete droplet detachment. This approach provides a generalizable design strategy for anti-adhesion surfaces in electrolytic cells, crucibles, and other high-temperature industrial equipment.
Sun et al. (Sat,) studied this question.